Tri-City Taken Down by Eugene in Series Finale
The Tri-City Dust Devils (15-17) socked two home runs on a Mother’s Day Sunday afternoon, but the Eugene Emeralds (18-14) used a second straight burst of offense to take a 12-5 win at Gesa Stadium and force a series split. The game started quietly, with neither team denting the scoreboard
The Tri-City Dust Devils (15-17) socked two home runs on a Mother’s Day Sunday afternoon, but the Eugene Emeralds (18-14) used a second straight burst of offense to take a 12-5 win at Gesa Stadium and force a series split.
The game started quietly, with neither team denting the scoreboard until the bottom of the 3rd inning. There Tri-City staked an early 3-0 lead, starting with 2B Adrian Placencia drawing a one-out walk. Three singles followed from DH Arol Vera, RF Joe Stewart and 1B Gabe Matthews. Stewart’s hit to right plated Placencia, and Matthews’s single up the middle scored Vera and Stewart.
The Emeralds responded quickly and forcefully, scoring a dozen times in their next five at-bats after starter Chase Chaney began the game with three scoreless innings and five strikeouts. RF Victor Bericoto hit his fourth home run of the series, off Dust Devils reliever Nick Mondak (1-1), and LF Wade Meckler homered as part of his second straight four-hit game.
Tri-City’s longballs came from C Gustavo Campero, a solo shot to right in the 4th inning off that helped his side retake the lead at 4-3, and Placencia, who from his right hand side crushed a line drive in the 7th over the left field fence for his first home run of 2023.
At the plate the Dust Devils had two multi-hit games, from Campero and Stewart. Placencia reached base three times, with two walks alongside the home run. On the mound, Nick Jones finished a bullpen day with a perfect 9th inning.
By the time Eugene recorded the final out 16 home runs had been hit out of Gesa Stadium in the series between the two teams, 11 by Eugene and five by Tri-City. The total is believed to be a record in the Dust Devils era.
Tri-City will take a rare home off day Monday and then host the Vancouver Canadians for a seven-game series over six days beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday night at Gesa Stadium. It’s another Coca-Cola Tuesday, with 21 oz. Coke products available for $2 all night. Broadcast coverage begins with the pregame show at 6:10 p.m. both here and at the MiLB First Pitch app.
Tickets for the series, including Wednesday and Sunday afternoon matinees and a Friday doubleheader, are available now. Also, special ticket rates are available for groups of 20 or more. For more information on Dust Devils single game, season, mini-plan (11, 22, 33) and group tickets, visit dustdevilsbaseball.com, call the team office at (509) 544-8789, or visit the team office (10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on game nights, or Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. otherwise).